By Running the Council de Blasio Finds Success in Liberal AgendaDe Blasio has found ways to pursue his
liberal agenda, with his efforts now turning to dropping a campaign
begun under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg to block legislation that
guarantees higher pay for development project workers

While hehasn’t always been eager to disclose
his conversations with business leaders, de Blasio has enjoyed using
ABNY breakfasts to bolster his image as a progressive leader bringing a
challenging message to what he describes as an unreceptive audience. His
plan to tax rich New Yorkers in order to fund his education agenda was
unveiled at an October 2012 ABNY breakfast.

de Blasio Flip Flops on 911 Dispatch Contract

Intergraph Corp has paid Mercury Public Affairs Over $1,000,000 Dollars

New de Blasio aide has history of vulgar tweets(NYP)
A foul-mouthed former campaign aide to the mayor who was previously
scolded for her Twitter rants against the NYPD and NAACP was quietly
hired as the mayor’s new co-director of community affairs in Brooklyn.
Kicy Motley was spotted by The Post last week cheering on de Blasio at
the mayor’s first bill-signing ceremony in Brooklyn. Twitter
rants: “NYPD fatally shoot knife-wielding man in Times Square. (VIDEO)
F–k.
The. Police” Motley wrote on Aug. 11, 2012, after cops shot Darrius
Kennedy, 51. - She slammed the NAACP in January 2013 for siding with
drink companies
against Bloomberg’s soda ban: “@NAACP aka corporate d–k riders.
Standing with soda makers for a few bucks.” * "De Blasio slow to make police-oversight appointment" (Capital) “[D]e Blasio has yet to name anyone to lead the Civilian Complaint Review Board, whose last chairman, Daniel Chu, stepped down on Jan. 1.”

Nobody Likes de Blasio's PoliciesQuinnipiac Poll: Most New Yorkers Don’t Support De Blasio’s Policies(WCBS)
Only 14 percent of New York City voters said the mayor should cut the
number of charter schools. Forty percent said the city should add more
charters while 39 percent supported the number staying the same.
Meanwhile, 64 percent of those surveyed said de Blasio should not ban carriage horses,
compared 24 percent who said he should. De Blasio has vowed to shut
down the industry, saying it’s inhumane to keep horses in modern-day
Manhattan. The Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday says voters prefer
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to pay for prekindergarten from the state budget over de Blasio’s plan to raise taxes on the rich by a margin of 54 percent to 35 percent.

On Morning Joe BDB has Clearly Lost Control of the Education Narrative

Tense Moments in de Blasio’s TV Interview(NYT)Scarborough, Brzezinski Confront de Blasio: Is Charter School Campaign ‘Personal’? (VIDEO) Morning Joe
played a clip of a fiery de Blasio during the
campaign arguing that Moskowitz had an excess of money and political
influence behind her, both of which would end when he was in office.
Brzezinski pointed out that as Moskowitz’s schools were the first he
went after, the policy seemed “personal,” a word the morning show hosts
invoked four different times. “We approved five Success Academy schools
for co-location in this
round — we disagreed with three, we approved of five and by the way, we
approved fourteen charter schools out of seventeen applications,” de
Blasio countered. “I do think the facts matter a lot here. The bottom
line is, we’ve got to fix the whole school system, so charters play a
role in that. But a lot of other things have to happen. The schools on
the receiving end matter too.” “What don’t you like about Eva
Moskowitz?” Scarborough pressed. “That statement seemed very personal.”*
De Blasio confronts charter-boosting ‘Morning Joe’ hosts(Capital)

‘Morning Joe’ Cast Grills de Blasio Over Charter Schools(NYO) “I don’t understand your positions on charters,” stated Mr. Scarborough.
“The waiting list is 50,000. And it’s not a bunch of rich kids from
Manhattan that want to get in there, it’s some of the poorest, most
disadvantaged children of colors.” Ms. Brzezinski further brought up Mr.
de Blasio’s 16-year-old son, Dante, as she inquired about some charter
co-locations recently canceled by the de Blasio administration. “Let me ask it this way mayor: With all due respect, your son goes
to–is it Brooklyn Tech? Has a $13 million endowment, it’s a
highly-selective school; you’re very excited, I’m sure, that he goes
there. If you found out that he wasn’t going there next year, wouldn’t
you want to know what the plan was? Do you think you played this out in a
way that might not have been effective?” she asked. Mr. de Blasio failed to persuade the skeptical hosts, however, and he
was soon pressed on his hostility towards the charter movement and
whether he had a personal beef with charter school leader Eva Moskowitz.
(Speaking on the same program, Ms. Moskowitz extensively bashed
Mr. de Blasio’s charter policy last week.)“There is no hostility,”
countered Mr. de Blasio.“It does look like there is …” began Mr.
Scarborough.“‘Looks like’ is an important word,” Mr. de Blasio
interjected with a laugh. * Lawsuits are expected to be filed—in
New York City and Albany—against New York City for the de Blasio
administration’s decision to reverse charter school co-locations, the New York Post writes:

Can De Blasio Be Less Blah? The Mayor Who Needs a Makeover (Daily Beast) From charter schools to snow-clearing controversies to taxing the rich
to pay for pre-K, Bill de Blasio has had a rough first few months as New
York’s Mayor. To rehabilitate his battered public image, he needs to do
more than take selfies on the steps of City Hall.

Charter Schools(NYT) The mayor has hardly waged “war” on charter schools, but he does need to tone down the divisive rhetoric. * Send in the ‘ban bossy’ brigade for De Blasio(NYP) Here’s hoping Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg brings her “Ban Bossy”
campaign to New York. Maybe she can get Mayor de Blasio to find a
healthier response to Eva Moskowitz, and to end his war on charter
schools and the children whose lives have been ever changed by them. * De Blasio criticized former Mayor
Michael Bloomberg’s Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts, saying the city
needs to do better, The Wall Street Journal reports: * De Blasio’s costly education victory(Capital) Even as de Blasio is denied the credit he deserves for this substantive
achievement, the political cost he pays will be significant. * Crain’s New York Business asked some P.R. experts what advice they would give Mr. de Blasio. ”I think he needs a communications director,” said James Vlasto. ”Be on time,” said Davidson Goldin.
“Reporters have bosses breathing down their necks to file.” “Ignore it,
because people remain very solidly with him on the issues,” said Matt Hiltzik.

Everyman Snow Shoveling: 7:00 - 7:15 AM Action

The Spin - De Blasio’s schedules show that his
snow shoveling appearances at the onset of his tenure were planned out
beforehand, though a spokesman said the mayor was just fulfilling his
obligation to keep his sidewalk clear. “Hizzoner’s schedule, obtained by The Post under a Freedom of
Information Act request, shows the snow clearing was blocked out
beforehand — and even planned from the outset to include his popular
son’s cameo.” De Blasio planned ‘snow shoveling’ shows at home (NYP)Hizzoner’s schedule, obtained by The Post under a Freedom of
Information Act request, shows the snow clearing was blocked out
beforehand — and even planned from the outset to include his popular
son’s cameo.“7:00 – 7:20 am: Snow Shoveling Front of Residence with
Dante de Blasio,” reads the mayor’s schedule on January 3. A separate
entry on January 22, following another blanketing of the
city, shows a shorter shoveling shift was planned: “7:00-7:15 AM SNOW
SHOVELING.” * Dowd de Blasio in Your Face Style While they may share some Democratic
ideologies, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s soft-spoken, calm style
contrasts with that of de Blasio, who has been highly visible and
abrasive and obsessive about pre-K Another Tale of Two Cities(Dowd, NYT)

City and State blames the fact that Mr. de Blasio’s press shop is
filled with campaign holdovers with limited government experience. Some
said Mr. de Blasio’s press team “has too many ‘true believers’ and not
enough sober, experienced voices in the press office.” Staffers have to
“let the Kool-Aid wear off a little bit,” said Leland Jones, a press secretary for David Dinkins. Mayoral Media Growing Pains Not Unique To De Blasio * de Blasio’s growing administration. The New York Times reported
the mayor has been picking liberal activists over managers for city
posts. “In Bill de Blasio’s City Hall, it seems more and more, there is
only a left wing,” they wrote, noting, “The mayor, who advanced in
politics by grass-roots organizing, has built a team filled with former
activists — figures more accustomed to picketing administrations or
taking potshots from the outside than working from within.”

In October the New York Times asked Bill de Blasio what a mayor’s resume should look like.
His response contained many words, but
the nut of it was this: “It’s about ability to communicate. It’s about
clarity of vision and ability to sense what’s going on on-the-ground,
and listen.” * Dinkins spox Leland Jones said that @BilldeBlasio’s press team “needs to let the Kool-Aid wear off a little bit.” (City and State)

The Associated Press reports on how Mayor Bill de Blasio‘s
“ambitious agenda to fight income inequality … has taken a backseat in
recent weeks to a series of political stumbles that have become tabloid
fodder and shaken his everyman image.” The wire argued that,
“ironically, the strength behind de Blasio’s mayoral campaign”–his
remarkable message discipline–”may have produced some weakness in his
first two months in office.” * Bill Cunningham, a former communications director for ex-Mayor Michael Bloomberg
argued in the story that Mr. de Blasio’s young staff have had
particular “trouble taking a story and keeping it a one-day story.” De
Blasio spokesman Phil Walkzakacknowledged the bumps,
but dismissed their impact: “We live in a town and a culture where
things can become distractions,” he told the outlet. “But I will say I
do not think these hiccups have distracted from our larger policy
agenda.”

de Blasio Hires His Election LawyerLawyer
Who Convinced the BOE to Put de Blasio Back on the Ballot in 2009 After
He Made A Mistake is Not A Special Adviser to the Mayor.Henry Berger,
a longtime New York City election lawyer, has been hired by the de
Blasio administration as special assistant corporation counsel and
adviser to the mayor, a position in which he will provide legal counsel
to the mayor and staff at City Hall. The hiring reunites the mayor with
Berger, who played a key role in ensuring that then-councilman Bill de rBlasio
had a spot on the 2009 public advocate ballot—although Berger was also
responsible for de Blasio being kicked off in the first place. In July
of 2009, the Board of Elections initially ruledthat
de Blasio made an error on the cover sheet for his ballot
petitions—listing 131 volumes of petitions when there were really 132.
On "Good Day New York" several days later, de Blasio said, "Our
lawyer...just did his math wrong," referring to Berger. At the time,
Bergerstatedthat
in 35 years practicing election law, he had never seen such a case. The
Board of Elections eventually voted unanimously to allow de Blasio on
the ballot, and he went on to win the public advocate's race, using the
office as a launching pad for his 2013 run at City Hall.

NYT Mayor's Appointments More Left Than Managers

Aides say [BDB] works backward in his hiring process...identifying a candidate who shares his political philosophy..De Blasio Picks More Liberal Activists Than Managers for City Posts(NYT) In Bill de Blasio’s City Hall, it seems more and more, there is only a left wing. The
mayor, who advanced in politics by grass-roots organizing, has built a
team filled with former activists — figures more accustomed to picketing
administrations or taking potshots from the outside than working from
within. His administration is heavily populated with appointees best
known for the fights they have fought.* In a letter to the editor, Mr. de Blasio’s press secretary, Phil Walzak, took issue with a New York Times story that framed City Hall hires as more activist-oriented than managerial, pointing to a previous Times
story that said “the mayor’s recruitment process has ‘a pronounced bent
toward candidates with deep experience’ and that ‘the lengthy résumés
of Mr. de Blasio’s picks have earned him praise.’” * The Nationalso took issue with the same report, writing “what is definitely off-target is the notion, which the Times
repeated Saturday but certainly didn’t invent, that ‘more managerial’
appointees are somehow ideologically neutral. This misconception
underlay a lot of the skewed analysis of the Bloomberg administration,
which was seen as apolitical.”

Mayor Moves on Cop LawsuitsDe Blasio switches sides to ditch cop suit(NYP)Mayor de Blasio one-upped his vow to ditch the city’s legal challenge
to a law that exposes cops to civil suits for racial profiling by
announcing Monday that he would, in effect, switch sides to defeat the
bid. De Blasio asked Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Anil Singh to swap
out the mayor’s position from plaintiff to defendant in the case.

Mayoral Control of the Schools Expires Next YearDe Blasio’s antics puts mayoral control over schools at risk(NYP Ed) The law that gives the mayor control expires next year. This question fairly jumps out from Eva Moskowitz’s appeal to the
state education commissioner to fight the denial of co-location to one
of her Success Academies. The filing is being made on behalf of 19
parents of current and prospective pupils of a Success charter school in
Harlem.* * A study of prekindergarten practices
is being conducted as New York City and the state debate universal pre-K
proposals, with the results possibly being used to shape a program in
the city and elsewhere, The New York Times writes:* UFT says that if New York City
doesn’t raise teachers’ salaries in the upcoming contract negotiations,
there could be an exodus of educators to the suburbs for higher-paying
jobs, the Post writes: * While some educators fight hard for
charter schools, some top charter officials are making close to or more
than schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña’s $212,000 per year, The New York Times’ Michael Powell writes: * "Eva Moskowitz is Governor Andrew Cuomo’s problem now." (NY Mag)

Big Stop and Frisk Win for the Mayor

Breaking Stop-and-frisk case going back to Manhattan judge(NYP) The de Blasio administration scored a big win in the city’s
stop-and-frisk case on Friday when a federal appeals panel passed it
back to a Manhattan judge — potentially fast-tracking an anticipated
settlement deal between the new mayor and plaintiffs, and snubbing city
police unions in the process. The new mayor had asked the panel to formerly withdraw the city’s appeal
made by the Bloomberg administration late last year and move the case
back to Torres in the hopes of soon reaching a settlement with the
plaintiffs.* Appeals court stops NYPD unions' bid to halt de Blasio's stop-frisk deal(NYDN)

Instead of marching in the official St.
Patrick’s Day parade, de Blasio decided to march in the “St.
Patrick’s Day Parade for All” in Queens on Sunday instead, celebrating
the event’s “inclusion, diversity, unity”

New Gangs of New York Vs MayorIf Qui-Gon Jinn, “Priest” Vallon and the Princess Are Going to Win
For Their Cause, They Must Expose the Corruption Done to the 2013
Elections By the Evil Advance Group PAC Empire

Mayor's Neighbors Save on Property Tax De Blasio’s neighborhood among city’s top property tax savers(NYP)Small-home owners in Carroll Gardens and Park Slope are saving an
average of $10,760 per year on their property-tax bills — the biggest
benefit outside Manhattan — thanks to byzantine rules, an analysis has
found.The savings are largely due to caps on tax hikes for one-, two- and three-family homes enacted decades ago.

de Blasio Goes to the Bullpen

Mayor de Blasio will keep Bloomberg's Bullpen(NYDN) Despite criticizing it during his
campaign, de Blasio and his aides have concluded it will be too
expensive to replace the open-air style office space at City Hall known
as the Bullpen

Job performance rating: 10%, excellent; 29%, good; 37% fair; 20% poorPoll: NYers approve of the way @BilldeBlasio has handled snowstorm streak, not as happy about school closing decisions. Poll: @BilldeBlasio's
approval rating highest in the Bronx, lowest in Manhattan *
WSJ/NBC/Marist Poll: 43% said BdB changing NYC for better; 20% say
negative impact; 25% say no impact.* Want boroughs? Bronx, 44%,
approve; Brooklyn, 43%; Queens/SI, 36%; Manhattan, 30%.* Poll showed
racial divide. Approval rating among black voters, 50%; 45%, Latino;
30%, white. How is the first lady doing? 52% have a positive view of
her; 29%, unfavorable; 29% never heard of her or unsure.How did BdB do
w/ snow management: 56% satisfied. But 50% said decision on canceling
school wasn't good.* New Yorkers Not Too Impressed With Mayor De Blasio's First Two Months On The Job(NYDN) *Cuomo More Popular Than De Blasio in NYC, Polls Show(SNAINFO)

Mark Green
‏@markjgreen Ouch: BdB falls from 73% of
vote to 39% job approval. Partly due to expected tabloid hazing of any
lib + self-wounding stumbles/spin/'tude. * At a forum with other big city mayors
in Chicago, de Blasio focused on political philosophy in talking about
the beginning of his mayoralty while others discussed more specific
points of municipal maintenance, the Times reports:--The Times’ Michael Grynbaum, also in Chicago, described a
lofty de Blasio, saying he “left the nuts-and-bolts details of municipal
maintenance to his peers, preferring philosophical points over
statistical detail as he described his experiences in the first two
months of the job.”

Mr. de Blasio, meanwhile, spent the weekend sending his surrogates
around black and Latino neighborhoods in the city, arguing on behalf of
his universal pre-K plan, as the News and Capital New York
report. “Tell them you don’t just like this plan. You don’t just want
this plan. You need this plan for your children,” Mr. de Blasio said in
the Bronx.

The political education of Carmen Fariña(Capital) Says she regrets “beautiful day” comment last week “I happen to be a very honest person and I obviously rue the day I ever
said, ‘beautiful,’” she said. “It comes with the territory … I
understand reporters have to do their job.” * NY1 Online: Longtime City Hall Insider Talks de Blasio Transition Longtime City Hall insider and
Lindsay administration official Sid Davidoff joined Inside City Hall to
discuss the de Blasio transition, the mayor's struggle to stay ahead of
the snow, and the fight between the mayor and governor over how to pay
for universal pre-k.
* Charter Schools On the eve of a meeting with New York
City Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina advocates for charter schools are
trying to play nice with the new administration, focusing on their
shared goals of providing better education for students who are most in
need, Chalkbeat reports:

Bill de Blasio gave an impassioned presentation about
traffic safety on Tuesday. On Thursday he was caught barreling down the
highway over the speed limit. Mayor Bill de Blasio gave an impassioned
presentation about traffic safety on Tuesday. On Thursday, under the
immutable law of political comeuppance, he got busted by a TV news crew
that caught his two-S.U.V. detail rolling through stop signs, changing
lanes without signaling and barreling down the highway over the speed
limit.

The Campaign Manger Mayor Fails to Understand Message Control Does Not Work When Your Mayor

At this point another law of politics kicked
in, wherein the official response generates more heat and derision than
the actual offense. The mayor’s office said, “We also recognize
N.Y.P.D.’s training and protocols, and refer questions related to
security and transportation to them.” Ah, yes: blowing through stop signs, changing
lanes without signaling: two proven executive-protection tactics, to
throw off potential pursuers. Maybe in Kandahar. This was Queens. A more
plainspoken explanation by Mr. de Blasio on behalf of himself and his
security detail — we were jerks, and this won’t happen again — would be
more credible than invoking the Blackwater defense. It is my non-professional judgment that these
were simply cops rolling through stop signs and speeding in the classic
New York, outta-my-way manner — routine lawbreaking sanctioned by their
official status, powerful passenger and S.U.V. bulk. * Wrong answer on speeding, Mr. Mayor (NYDN OP-Ed) How de Blasio should react to his SUV driving scandal if he really cares about Vision ZeroMichael Barbaro
‏@mikiebarbShark Jumped, de Blasio gotcha edition (NYP)

De Blasio May End Weekly Call-In Radio Show(NY1) The weekly call-in radio show that Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani embraced may soon be a thing of the past, as
Mayor Bill de Blasio does not seem as interested in following them to
the airwaves, though he has not yet made an official decision about his
plans.

de Blasio Rosemary Woods Editing of the ReBNY Meet

108 Minute Gap De Blasio Seems to Be Struggling to Fulfill Transparency Pledge (NY1)NY1 asked the mayor's aides repeatedly for his closed-door remarks and
was told that they would not be released. However, by the afternoon,
amid growing criticism, City Hall changed its tune. At 5 p.m.,
four-and-a-half hours after the meeting ended, the mayor's office sent
NY1 a recording of the mayor. It is 12 minutes long. The entire meeting
lasted nearly two hours.

Is New York City Suffering Snowmageddon and Garbagemageddon Because de Blasio Dropped the Groundhog?
Sanitation Commish Doherty on all the snow this winter: "You lose your momentum on garbage."

"It's never the crime, but the cover up that gets you" - NixonClyde Haberman
‏@ClydeHabermanBdB's press strategy seems to be to go out of his way, not even 2 mos. into his term, to smugly alienate those covering him.

Even if one thinks the traffic story on @BilldeBlasio was unfair, hard to argue his team has handled the fallout well .@deblasio very much following the Obama mold on approaching softer media, avoiding the harder-edged NY press corp

de Blasio Learning Curve? Democrats say de Blasio must learn how to play politics in New York capitol(NYDN)About
a dozen Democrats in New York’s Assembly and Senate questioned why,
tactically, Mayor de Blasio would suddenly spring the minimum wage issue
at the same time he is asking the Legislature to fight for his pre-K
tax plan for New York City. 'The job of public advocate is to be a paid
complainer,' one Democratic insider said, referring to the mayor’s prior
job. 'That’s fine, but it doesn’t move things in Albany.'After waiting for a Democratic New
York City mayor, some members of the state Legislature are wishing that
de Blasio would slow down with his progressive proposals and focus on
one at a time, the Daily News reports: * De Blasio will be judged on more than
just his response to snow or calling the NYPD about an acquaintance,
and one judgment that can already be made is the mayor thinks he has
more political capital than he actually does, the Daily News’s Mike Lupica writes: * About a dozen Democrats in the Assembly and Senate questioned why,
tactically speaking, de Blasio would suddenly spring the minimum wage
issue at the same time he is asking the Legislature to fight for his
pre-K tax plan. * "Those close to BDB say he also regularly engages w/ state lawmakers personally in a way MRB never did.” * Some New Yorkers who met Mayor Bill
de Blasio when he opened Gracie Mansion to the public in early January
have yet to receive the photographs of their meeting, NY1 reports: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=495268678289935103#editor/target=post;postID=9220847277452584268;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=0;src=postname

de Blasio First Contract Settlement, UFT Demands Back Pay

The de Blasio administration struck its
first labor contract settlement, making a deal with 200 environmental
officers who will receive an average of more than $50,000 each in back
pay, the Daily News writes: 3 retro raises for enviro officers union - 5, 4 and 4 for 2005-07 - but not expected to set pattern for others *

#UFT president Mulgrew says retroactive raises "a big issue for us" in next contract, says teacher retention is key too @WNYC * Teachers union head says getting retroactive pay raises a big issue(NYP) * The president of the United
Federation of Teachers is pushing for New York City to provide back pay
to the union's nearly 100,000 members, which some estimate could cost
more than $3.2 billion, the Daily News reports: * The Post writes that while United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew is calling for back
pay, he’s leaving out the fact that members have received raises because
of the Triborough Amendment * Mike Mulgrew’s Whopper(NYP Ed) In his quest to get Mayor de Blasio to cough up $3.2. billion in back
pay for his members, union boss Mike Mulgrew keeps claiming his people
have gone without raises because Big Bad Bloomberg refused to negotiate a
new contract. What Mulgrew never tells you is that most of his members have received
raises. They’ve received them because of a perversity in New York law
called the Triborough Amendment, which mandates that all parts of a
public union contract — including automatic “step” increases in pay —
remain in effect even after a contract has expired. * .@scottmstringer called $1B in health c are retiree trust a "cushion" that @deBlasioNYC could spend on union contracts.* Stringer Doesn’t Think de Blasio’s Budget Deals With Open Labor Contracts (NYO) * New York City Comptroller Scott
Stringer urged de Blasio to settle the city’s outstanding union
contracts before the start of the next fiscal year on July 1, calling
them the “Achille’s heel” of the budget,

Union prez Mulgrew: "Having students, parents &amp; staff traveling in
these conditions was unwarranted. It was a mistake to open schools
today" * All City Council hearings are canceled. Schools? Open.

Barack’s lesson for Bill(NYP Ed) How ironic that on the same day Mayor de Blasio was closing doors of
opportunity to hundreds of African-American kids in New York, in
Washington President Obama was championing a new initiative to help
young men of color claim their part of the American Dream.

The Gang of Four (L to R â€“ Dinkins, Paterson, Sutton, Rangel)Â
- See more at:
http://lasentinel.net/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=4868:charles-rangel&amp;catid=79&amp;Itemid=169#sthash.rEVf0oaQ.dpuf

De Blasio bishop a Brooklyn powerhouse despite money, legal woes(NYP)
Findlayter’s power doesn’t come from his own Brooklyn congregation, the
New Hope Christian Church, which boasts only 250 or so members; it
springs from the umbrella organization his church belongs to and which
he leads — Churches United to Save and Heal (CUSH), a
multidenominational network of 40 mostly Caribbean churches in Brooklyn,
Queens and The Bronx. For politicians, Findlayter, 50, is a gatekeeper
to thousands of voters and activists. “If you’re looking for black
voters, you have to start at the
church,” state Sen. Kevin Parker, an ally of Findlayter for the past 15
years, told The Post. “Mayor de Blasio understood that, and that was key
to his victory . . . Pastors are really the institution of black
communities that do the most service.” But while Findlayter’s influence
increased, so did his money problems.

Cuomo
even got in a sly dig at de Blasio’s claim to the “two cities”
theme, suggesting he’s not the first politician to invoke it. In a bit
of political one-upmanship that hit close to his own home,
Cuomo pointed out that it was his father, Mario Cuomo, who brought up
the very same “two cities” issue 30 years ago. “I was in the audience in
1984 at the Democratic convention when I think it was articulated very
well,” said Cuomo.

Not Only Hot MealsEva’s lesson for Bill (NYP) By contrast, Moskowitz kept her schools open for one reason: In a city
where the overwhelming number of black and Latino students are failing
their proficiency tests, she believes students cannot afford to miss the
precious education they get. * Mobs Soldier Says Closes the Schools Bill Mafia member Thomas Gioeli tweets complaint about de Blasio during snowstorm (NYDN) Thomas
(Tommy Shots) Gioeli tweeted “How long is reckless Bill de Blasio gonna
play chicky w/the life’s of our children,” to his followers Thursday
after the decision was made to keep schools open despite the snowstorm.

4. Orwellian Speaker Drop the Adversarial Role?

Bill’s buddies
(NYDN) Too much coziness for comfort in Mayor de Blasio's City Hall *
Mayor de Blasio’s foolishness in personally calling the NYPD after the
arrest of a political supporter grows ever more evident as Bishop
Orlando Findlayter’s background emerges.While racking up debts, he
scored approval for more than $200,000 in
taxpayer grants for not-for-profit groups with the help of state Sen.
Kevin Parker, Councilman Eugene Mathieu and former Councilman Kendall
Stewart. Findlayter never collected the money after failing to register
his nonprofits with the Internal Revenue Service. On Thursday, the
mayor grew irritated responding to questions about his
actions while saying they were “appropriate” and that he’d handle such
matters on a “case-by-case” basis.

Sharpton Also Tells the Media to Move On Mr. Sharpton, who has become one of Mr. de Blasio’s most vocal
supporters, nonetheless addressed the controversy, urging the reporters
present to move on. .@MMViverito-"I'd rather just move on." @TishJames-"I defer to the decision of the mayor." @TheRevAl-"You all need to go to the next thing."

Findlayter, 50, who hobnobs with politicians from City Council members
to state senators to President Obama, didn’t pick up the cash. The
stalled money is just a piece of the murky financial picture of a man
who owns a nearly $600,000 Long Island home, but needed a Legal Aid
Society attorney when he answered a pair of outstanding warrants in
court on Tuesday. Guidestar, a nonprofit tax tracker, has no record of tax returns from
either of Findlayter’s organizations — even though a Dun &amp;
Bradstreet report from May 2013 said his community center employed two
people and had $230,000 in annual sales. No further details were
available. He and his wife bought a $579,000 house in Lynbrook in 2007, getting a
$434,850 mortgage. Yet his church was booted from Church Ave. in
Brooklyn in 2010 after he defaulted on $45,000 in back rent — and he
skipped out on a $100,000 court judgment against him on a slip-and-fall
in the same building. * A
footnote on de Blasio pal Findlayter: he was an original signer of the
Atlantic Yards CBA (then vanished)(Atantic Yards Reports)

Mayor tells police unions to stay out of stop-frisk case(NYP) Mayor de Blasio sent the city’s police unions a stern message Friday:
butt out of the stop-and-frisk case! Zachary Carter, de Blasio’s
handpicked corporation counsel, filed legal papers with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals saying the
city is withdrawing prior support under the former Bloomberg
administration of the unions appealing Manhattan federal Judge Shira
Scheindlin’s ruling that found stop-and-frisk unconstitutional.PBA “the documents we submitted” last week “speak for themself”Scheindlin through her lawyers on Friday also filed court papers with
the appellate panel objecting to the unions’ motion to appeal her
ruling. The panel on Friday also agreed to let lawyers for former Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani and former US Attorney General Michael Mukasey submit briefs in
support of the police unions’ motions.

de Blasio Hell WeekBill de Blasio - An unhappy recap of de Blasio’s no
good, very bad week: First, Republican Senate Co-Leader Dean
Skelos rained on the mayor’s universal pre-K parade by firmly stating
his intention to block a floor vote on the mayor’s tax hike proposal to
pay for the program. Skelos’ Democratic counterpart Jeff Klein then
swelled up with courage to vigorously defend de Blasio’s proposal, only
to play the shrinking violet less than 24 hours later by walking back
his commitment to stall the budget if the tax hike did not receive a
vote. If only it ended there, but de Blasio also displayed the downside
to his micromanaging personality by reportedly personally calling to
check on the arrest of a clergy member who happened to be on his
transition team.The mayor was pilloried for what may have been an
inappropriate phone call, with few coming to his defense, save for Rudy
Giuliani. Rule of thumb, Bill: when Rudy, who can hardly be called an
ally, is the only one patting you on the back, it might be a good idea
to think twice about “inquiring” into police arrests no matter how
“appropriate” you claim your actions were. Lastly, Mr. Mayor, when
you’ve lost Al Roker, you’re in trouble. * peaker and Public Advocate Refuse to Criticize de Blasio Over Bishop Call Controversy(NYO)Cancels Press ConferenceBill de Blasio Cancels Press Conference One Day After Grilling(NYO)

Trending in the Media Now

School RageOpening the Schools and de Blasio Call to NYPD on Friends Arrest Warrant

Pre-K
Cuomo: "Answer to a tale of two cities is not to create two states" on
why he doesn't support tax for NYC to create its own Pre-K @WNYC

.

Losing Al Roker A Bad Week

de Blasio was surprised by the cold this week. His pre-k plan
is getting an icy push back from Governor Cuomo, reporters are grilling
him at length, his Schools Chancellor is being mocked for saying "it's a
beautiful day" in the middle of a sleet storm, and even weatherman Al
Roker blasted the mayor on twitter. (WNYC)

For de Blasio It Keeps Raining

Monday UpdateDe Blasio Downplays Pre-K Tax Plan in Albany: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio didn’t push the income tax

de Blasio I Am Done Commenting On the Findlayter Matter de Blasio declined to answer a question about the controversy around his
Monday night call to the NYPD after learning of the arrest of Bishop
Orlando Findlayter. Despite his clear desire to move on to other
topics, it appears that press and public interest is far from sated (Full Interview) . * De Blasio avoided tax-hike proposal talk during Albany visit(NYP) * Comptroller Scott Stringerwent on PIX11 and expanded on his “problematic” comments regarding Mr. de Blasio’s call to police after Bishop Orlando Findlayter‘s
arrest. “It’s pretty clear that the mayor didn’t do anything
inappropriate,” said Mr. Stringer. “I just commented that mayors who
make those calls are going to get some blowback.”

Will de Blasio's NYU Connected Staff Influence the University Expansion Approval?

Last
week, de Blasio named professor Vicki Been head of the city’s
Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the agency charged
with housing the city’s neediest residents. Been and her hubby, Richard
Revesz, who was dean of NYU’s law school for 11 years, owe the
university $6.4 million for sweetheart mortgages on their West Village
town house and Connecticut vacation home.De Blasio’s first deputy mayor
is former NYU Langone Medical Center
honcho Anthony Shorris, who made $1 million as both a vice dean and
hospital chief of staff.The mayor also tapped former Trinity Real Estate
President Carl
Weisbrod as chair of the City Planning Commission. Weisbrod, who served
in the Lindsay, Koch and Dinkins administrations, was an academic chair
at the NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate. The city’s new corporation
counsel, ex-US Attorney Zachary Carter, is an NYU Law trustee.“It looks
like the fix is in,” said a community activist who refused
to be identified for fear of retaliation by NYU. “People are afraid [the
university] will have undo influence.”

Affordable Housing Developers Connected Poised to Rake In MillionsDuring the Mayor's Drive to Build More Housing

Two de Blasio affordable housing appointees have ties to developers(NYDN)Alicia Glen,
the new deputy mayor for housing and economic development, and Vicki
Been, head of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development,
both have ties to an organization funded by major developer Ron Moelis.
The housing deals Glen worked on at Goldman Sachs may also come before
her for approval in City Hall. At the time of her selection by de Blasio, Glen also sat on the board
of the Moelis Institute for Affordable Housing Policy, an organization
founded by a major developer of affordable housing — Ron Moelis of L+M
Development Partners Inc.And Vicki Been, de Blasio’s choice to head the Department of Housing
Preservation and Development, also has ties to Moelis. The Moelis
Institute has dedicated $2 million to assist the program at New York
University Been has run since 2004, the Furman Institute for Real Estate
and Urban Policy.Picture: Sanford Loewentheil (right)
and Ron Moelis, co-founders of L+M Development Partners Inc. Moelis
founded the Moelis Institute for Affordable Housing Policy

Mayor's Bad Week Gov Great One

Andrew Cuomo - From ABCs to pre-K to Q, Cuomo tops the
list this week. First he slapped down the Board of Regents’ Common Core
proposals as too little, too late, asserting himself on another
election-year issue. Next a Quinnipiac poll showed state residents like
his no-tax pre-kindergarten plan, and then he rubbed de Blasio’s nose in
it, again offering to do whatever it takes to give kids pre-K. And for a
back end of the week finale, Quinnipiac showed that he’d stroll into
another term as governor, and President Obama gave him the $8 billion
Medicaid waiver the state desperately needed. All together it’s
no Sexiest Man Alive list mention week, but it was certainly a
politically sexy one. * Cuomo Says de Blasio's Pre-K Plan Could Create a Tale of 'Two States': (NYO)

Kaiser Wilhelm(NYP Ed) Perhaps you should act that way. Alas, that hasn’t been the case for the past two months. Surrounded
by political sycophants and seeing his 3-1 electoral win over Joe Lhota
as a mandate (though 81 percent of registered voters failed to back
him), he seems to think he can do whatever he likes. We’re not just
talking about driving over the speed limit, as his car was caught doing
this week, two days after he called for lower limits and vowed to hold
“ourselves to this standard.” (And never mind that the very next day The
Post caught him jaywalking.)
Consider that in just the past few weeks, we’ve seen that de Blasio:
• Personally placed a late-night call to the NYPD following the arrest of a political pal, Bishop Orlando Findlayter.
• Is allowing his police department to withhold the bishop’s arrest report.
• Has barred the press from a number of speaking engagements.
• Omitted a speech to pro-Israel AIPAC from his public schedule.
• Held secret meetings with members of the Obama administration.
• Insists on taxing the wealthy for pre-K, even though Gov. Cuomo offered to give him state aid to fund it instead.
• Refuses to answer questions he finds inconvenient.
It’s starting to look like an imperial mayoralty. De Blasio has
created an image of an official for whom the rules of accountability
don’t apply, one who seems to have contempt for the public, the press
and anyone who disagrees with him. Nor does he fear pushback even from fellow elected officials in the
city. Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Public Advocate Letitia
James are both mute on the Findlayter episode, for example. (Would
former Public Advocate Warren Wilhelm, er, Bill de Blasio have been so
silent about then-Mayor Mike Bloomberg?)

Unlike Everything Else Team de Blasio is On Top of the Pothole Crisis At Least PR Wise

The
safety violations came just two days after the mayor unveiled his
traffic safety plan. “We’ve put a very bold plan before you, and we want
the public to
know that we are holding ourselves to this standard,” de Blasio said
Tuesday. The mayor’s two-car caravan violated speed laws and racked up
other
motor vehicle violations after he held a news conference in Maspeth,
Queens on pothole repairs. De Blasio even filled a pothole himself. The
mayor was in the front
passenger seat of the lead car, driven by a member of his security
detail. But being in the front, the stop sign violations were clearly
seen. Kramer said as she followed de Blasio’s caravan, his words at the
road safety press conference rang her ears.

Staffers Say De Blasio is an Awful Driver(politicalwire) "According to four former de Blasio staffers, all of whom would talk
about their former boss only on background, he was inclined to speed or
direct staffers to drive faster when he was public advocate and a
mayoral candidate." Said one: "Dear God. Some of the worst road rage I've ever seen, seriously." * Safe mayor was an aggressive driver(Capital) According to four former de Blasio staffers, all of whom would talk
about their former boss only on background, he was inclined to speed or
direct staffers to drive faster when he was public advocate and a
mayoral candidate.

Never
in memory has there been such an immediate and yawning gap
between a mayor’s orders for the city and his enforcement of the rules
as they apply to Hizzoner personally. The episode follows hard on the
heels of de Blasio’s phone call to the
NYPD to inquire about the arrest of Bishop Orlando Findlayter, a
supporter and inaugural committee member who had been arrested on
outstanding warrants after being stopped for — it just had to be —
failing to signal on a left turn. Findlayter was released shortly after
the mayor inquired. So much for the mayor’s pledge to make us one city,
with one set of rules. De Blasio is fond of claiming a mandate for his
progressive policies. At this rate, it won’t last very long. * DOT Commissioner Dodges ‘Speedgate’ Questions(NYO) * A Lesson for de Blasio as His S.U.V. Breaks Some Rules of the Road(NYT) * Bratton on the ‘real’ rules for driving a mayor(Capital) will officer filmed yesterday will continue driving the mayor?
Bratton said, “certainly,” and walked away.* Mayor's Park Slope Neighbors Say His Vehicles Should Slow Down (NY1) QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Let's get
real. Security issues are going to be paramount. We have the obligation
to provide security, protect the life of the protectee. And that's where
the officers are basically instructed and trained to make decisions, to
basically provide that balance." – NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton
responding to questions about Mayor Bill de Blasio’s security detail
speeding and running stop signs, via the Daily News. * New York City Police Commissioner
Bill Bratton said he didn’t see anything wrong with what Mayor de
Blasio’s security detail did in the video WCBS ran last night, the Daily News reports: * good @mikiebarbobservation here about@BilldeBlasio &amp;#transparancy, then and now.

Both Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York
City Mayor Bill de Blasio seem to have taken some of former President
Bill Clinton’s traits, with Cuomo copying Clintonian tactics and de
Blasio seemingly absorbing some bad habits New York’s ‘Sons of Bill’(NYP)Since Election Day 2013, there’s been a tight struggle between Andrew
Cuomo and Bill de Blasio to determine, not just who’s the King of New
York, but who’s the biggest “SOB.” That is, who’s the true “Son of Bill”
— the rightful heir to that other Bill who still looms over Democratic
politics: Bill Clinton. Cuomo has plainly mastered the classic Clinton technique of
triangulation — and skillfully used de Blasio to do it. The president
set himself up as the above-the-fray moderate between an
unacceptable/incompetent left (old-school Democrats) and a radical right
(my then-boss, Newt Gingrich, and the post-1994 Republican Congress).
That allowed him to reject the overly ambitious liberal agenda
(HillaryCare) of his first two years, rebound from a disastrous 1994
midterm election that swept the GOP into power and cruise to a rather
easy 1996 re-election. * Poll: Gov. Cuomo Holds Commanding Lead Over Potential GOP Rivals Even As His Numbers Drop(NYDN)* Andrew Cuomo on Presidential Ambitions: ‘Sorry, I’m Losing You’(NYO) * Cuomo Dismisses ‘Silly Question’ About Education Policy(YNN) * Asked About 2016, Cuomo Jokes About Tech Trouble(YNN) * Cuomo’s proposed college classes for
prisoners and a higher age for felony offenders is good news, but he
does not need another commission to learn how to combat recidivism,
Michael Benjamin writes in City &amp; State:

Charter schools are working, but New York's mayor wants to stop them (Economist) A 2013 study by Stanford University found that the typical Illinois
charter pupil (most of them in Chicago) gained two weeks of additional
learning in reading, and a month in maths, over their counterparts in
traditional public schools. One city network of charters, Youth
Connection, is credited with reducing Chicago’s dropout rate by 7% in a
decade. Overall, however, the city’s public schools are in a sorry
state: 51,000 out of 240,000 elementary-school pupils did not meet state
reading standards in 2013. But New York’s new mayor, Bill de Blasio, a union-backed Democrat,
wants to hobble charters.

First, he intends to curb their growth. On
January 31st Carmen Fariña, his schools chancellor, announced a plan to
divert $210m earmarked for charter schools to help pay for
pre-kindergarten teaching. She also announced that, in future, every
expansion plan will be reviewed—even those that are long settled, such
as the plan of Success Academies, with the largest network in the city,
to open ten more schools in August. * Eva Moskowitz: Teachers Union Enemy No. 1(WSJ) * Charter Schools Group Launches Digital Campaign(YNN)

De Blasio bishop a Brooklyn powerhouse despite money, legal woes(NYP)
Findlayter’s power doesn’t come from his own Brooklyn congregation, the
New Hope Christian Church, which boasts only 250 or so members; it
springs from the umbrella organization his church belongs to and which
he leads — Churches United to Save and Heal (CUSH), a
multidenominational network of 40 mostly Caribbean churches in Brooklyn,
Queens and The Bronx. For politicians, Findlayter, 50, is a gatekeeper
to thousands of voters and activists. “If you’re looking for black
voters, you have to start at the
church,” state Sen. Kevin Parker, an ally of Findlayter for the past 15
years, told The Post. “Mayor de Blasio understood that, and that was key
to his victory . . . Pastors are really the institution of black
communities that do the most service.” But while Findlayter’s influence
increased, so did his money problems.

de Blasio Goes to Another Secret Meeting

Did GOP Senator Set Up the Mayor By Dropping the Picture of the Secret Meeting?

Bishop Orlando Findlayter, whose arrest prompted a call from Mayor Bill
de Blasio to the police, is at the center of a controversy that has
raised questions about the pastor and the mayor’s judgment.

Oh Really, DN: What is the Pre-K Plan?

A City That Need Years Delay to Teach the Core Curriculum Can Set Up Pre-K for 53,600 4-Year-Olds in 5 Months

Elementary, Mr. Mayor(NYDN
Ed) Mayor de Blasio is making the hard sell on pre-K. The city, he now
reports, has found more than enough classroom space to offer full-day,
high-quality early childhood education to 53,600 4-year-olds just six
months from now. So far, he has produced a 14-page report followed by a
10-page report,
both full of rhetorical flourishes alongside hard facts. This does not
an implementation plan make. Charter school applications are many times
more detailed. So too the
plans sure to be required by Cuomo before the state opens its funding
taps or — unlikely — approves de Blasio’s tax. Who will be in charge?
Right now, an unworkable five agencies oversee pre-K instruction and
facilities. What about staff? Transportation? And what exactly will the
little ones do when they show up on day one? Oh, right. That.ear * What is the ID Card Plan? Some in other cities say developing
and implementing an ID card program can be difficult and takes years,
not the months that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio would have to get
a program up by the end of this year, The Wall Street Journal writes: * NY1 Exclusive: Tax Break Bill Proposes Letting NYers Donate to Education Organization Instead* De Blasio to pre-K supporters: ‘We will win’(Capital) * Albany Pro: Why de Blasio won’t yield on pre-K(Capital)

Opting for failure(NYP) Anyone who’s read The Post exposé on Murry Bergtraum HS
won’t be surprised to learn how badly its students write. The question
is, why is a school so manifestly failing its students still open? Alas,
Murry Bergtraum is all too typical of a public-education system
that looks the other way so long as it’s black and Latino children who
aren’t learning. Here’s just a small taste of the rotten status quo:

At 53 city-run public schools, zero African-American students passed the state’s most recent math tests.

At 48 schools, zero Latino students passed those tests.

At one Bronx middle school — MS 203 — not one of the 210 Latino or 75 African-American children who took the tests passed.

At PS 194 in Harlem, none of the 50 African-American or 46 Latino test-takers was proficient in English Language Arts.

There are 105 schools where the math proficiency rate is 5 percent or less.

There are 69 public schools where the ­English Language Arts proficiency rate is 5 percent or less.

“Can [the mayor] look every parent in the eye who expects to send
their child to these schools in the fall and say to them, ‘The school
that I will now force you to go to is going to be better than the school
I am taking away from you’? ” The answer is that de Blasio is going to keep failing, traditional
public schools open no matter how badly they do — and make it difficult
to expand charters no matter how well they do. You can call this many
things, but you can’t call it progressive.* New York voters are divided about the
Common Core, with 36 percent saying the standards are too demanding and
24 percent saying they are not demanding, while 50 percent want a
two-year moratorium on implementation, according to a Siena poll:

de Blasio Taking Over NYPD CAUDe
Blasio "is clearing out the city's Community Affairs Unit, replacing
nearly every existing staffer with his longtime loyalists,"Cap NY writes. "De Blasio's team notified C.A.U. workers they have to depart their jobs by today, according to a source briefed on the situation. Some had previously left on their own, the source said...Among
the new staffers are several former de Blasio campaign aides, including
one who made news for tweeting her skepticism of the police, and staff
who worked for him when he was public advocate. Several have close ties to his labor allies." Bill de Blasio and the NYPD Are Off to a Rocky Start(The Atlantic)

De Blasio’s transition team drops big bucks(NYP)Campaign-finance reports released Wednesday show that the team spent
$277.17 for dinner at Delmonico’s Steak House near Wall Street on Dec.
23; $601 for one night at The W hotel in DC on Dec. 12, when de Blasio
was visiting President Obama; and $1,142 at The St. Regis in Midtown on
Dec. 16. Despite this, they blew through only about half the $2 million raised for the transition. De Blasio has $988,000 left.** Even after the election, New York
City Mayor Bill de Blasio received more than $2 million in campaign
donations for his transition, including money from several parties with
business before the city, Politicker writes: *Bill de Blasio Transition Donors Include Many With

Bill de Blasio to Name Mary Bassett Health Commissioner(NYO) Ms. Bassett replaces Thomas Farley, who became one of former Mayor
Michael Bloomberg’s most high-profile commissioners through his embrace
of a litany of controversial public health initiatives, from the
so-called “soda ban” to restrictions on public smoking.

In response to question yesterday “about whether he’s encouraged her not to punish her detractors,” Mr. de Blasio instead praised Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito‘s
status as the first Latina citywide official. “It’s evident today all
over the city that there is tremendous pride in the historical moment
that’s been achieved by Melissa Mark-Viverito,” he said. Later this afternoon, Mayor Bill de Blasio will be
holding a roundtable discussion at a Staten Island Goodfellas Pizza. But
this morning, his administration already found itself defending its
local record in the Staten Island Advance after his transition reportedly didn’t consider residents of the borough for top economic jobs.

Hiring slumped sharply in December, as the economy added only 74,000
jobs, according to the government. This was the weakest month for job
growth since January 2011 and came as a huge surprise to economists, who
were expecting an addition of 193,000 jobs. Only 62.8% of the adult population is participating in the labor market
now -- meaning they either have a job or are looking for one. That
matches the lowest level since 1978.

In response to question yesterday “about whether he’s encouraged her not to punish her detractors,” Mr. de Blasio instead praised Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito‘s
status as the first Latina citywide official. “It’s evident today all
over the city that there is tremendous pride in the historical moment
that’s been achieved by Melissa Mark-Viverito,” he said. Later this afternoon, Mayor Bill de Blasio will be
holding a roundtable discussion at a Staten Island Goodfellas Pizza. But
this morning, his administration already found itself defending its
local record in the Staten Island Advance after his transition reportedly didn’t consider residents of the borough for top economic jobs.

A relationships guide for new NYC mayor(Politico)
In the hours before Bill de Blasio’s inauguration as the mayor of New
York City, the seats on the dais at City Hall already bore name tags.
The closest one to the podium? Reserved for an “H. Clinton.” Next? “B.
Clinton.” Also in the front row: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and outgoing
Mayor Michael Bl“Gaspard helped bring the new mayor together with Obama, starting
long before de Blasio’s candidacy took off by taking the then-public
advocate and his family backstage to meet the president at an event in
Philadelphia. … David Axelrod … is a mentor, friend and former partner
of de Blasio’s top political consultant, John DelCecato, whose own ties
to Obama run deep. A campaign adviser who cut some of the president’s
re-election ads, Del Cecato also coached the new mayor on engagement
with the White House.”* De Blasio inauguration to have A-listers, everyday New Yorkers(NYDN)* Liberals are now watching New York City to see if Mayor Bill de Blasio can deliver on his populist ideals. “The mayor has a remarkable opportunity to make real many progressive policies and prove their merit,” Gavin Newsom, the lieutenant governor of California, told The New York Times.\ “There’s got to be a connection between vision and speeches, and
execution and policy … Our beloved president — that brother gives
beautiful speeches, but he is milquetoast oftentimes when it comes to
execution,” added Dr. Cornel West. “We don’t want de Blasio going down that Obama lane, or we’ll be in trouble.” * The Nationreacts:
“There are conventions in politics as dependable as the tides. For
instance, once elected, a politician’s rhetoric shifts from the
inspirational to the incremental, and after months of saying nasty
things about their opponent, they make nice … In the weeks since he was
elected mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio has abided by neither
custom.” * Farewell to All That - and Hello to Politics in City Hall(NY1)
Boomberg.For de Blasio, these four figures are
not just prominent politicians whose positions alone grant them seating
privileges Wednesday. They are among several people he will have some
sort of relationship with in the coming years, whether personal,
professional, or simply in the public imagination.* Two repeated themes
of the de Blasio movement heretofore: diversity and progressive. Let the
parsing begin.

Buzz is that de Blasio Wants to Increase Taxes To Help HillaryEven if Cuomo Finds the Pre-K $$$ From the General Budget

Gov.
Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio may agree New York City needs universal
pre-kindergarten, but you won't hear the governor take up how to pay for
it when he delivers his State of the State Address on Wednesday, our Ken Lovett and I report. Cuomo
did not absolutely rule out de Blasio’s call for the state to authorize
the city to hike its income tax on the wealthy to pay for the expanded
programs. But he made it clear as he unveiled an election-year relief plan that he believes New York’s taxes need to be lowered, not increased — something he has said in the past when talking about de Blasio's proposal.Announcing a new Global NY initiative to expand trade between New York
companies and foreign countries is in the cards for Cuomo’s State of the
State address, according to administration officials, The Wall Street Journal reports:

War Rooms Where Strategists Shape Campaigns, Control and Rally the Troops by Controlling the Media Message

Game ChangeDe Blasio Style Evident in Effort to Sway Critics of Bratton(NYT) Mayor-elect
Bill de Blasio and aides are conducting a campaign of diplomacy with
influential black and Latino New Yorkers who view William J. Bratton as
divisive.Behind the scenes in the
past 48 hours, Mr. de Blasio and his top aides have quietly waged an
aggressive campaign of outreach and diplomacy to secure support for Mr.
Bratton, whose deep ties to the divisive policing era of the 1990s have
unsettled some allies of the mayor-elect.

The
effort — including conference calls and other phone conversations among
Mr. de Blasio, Mr. Bratton and prominent black and Latino leaders —
offers an early glimpse of the grass-roots political style that Mr. de
Blasio, a savvy operative with a background in community organizing,
intends to bring to City Hall. On Thursday afternoon, after introducing
Mr. Bratton at a Brooklyn news conference, Mr. de Blasio and his top
political aide, Emma Wolfe, convened a conference call with liberal
advocacy groups to reaffirm his commitment to curbing the use of
stop-and-frisk tactics. Around the same time, the city’s incoming public
advocate, Letitia James, received an unexpected call on her cellphone:
Mr. Bratton was on the line. Councilman Jumaane D. Williams of Brooklyn,
who helped pass a police oversight bill this year, said Mr. de Blasio’s
aides had been in constant contact with him since Thursday about
setting up a meeting with Mr. Bratton.

From His Father’s Decline, de Blasio ‘Learned What Not to Do’(NYT)But by the time Mr. de Blasio turned 7, family life had started to go
bad. His father, Warren Wilhelm, was drunk and angry much of the day. At
one family gathering, he fell to the floor and had trouble getting back
up.The New York Times and WNYC did deep dives into Bill de Blasio‘s
early childhood and relationship with his parents. “I have a real
respect, and a real anger and sadness at the same time,” Mr. de Blasio
said of his father, who became estranged from the family. “I don’t think
I’ve ever been able to do the math on exactly what it all means.”*
Between losing his leg in WWII and his tragic suicide in 1979, Bill de
Blasio's father forged a career with think tanks and multinational
corporations aimed at blocking the spread of communism. A decade after
his death, his son was in Nicaragua, working in support of the kind of
socialist government his father's old colleagues tried to prevent in
Latin America.* De Blasio's Political Awakening Started As A Child(NY1)